Family involvement and treatment for young children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Randomized control study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the diferential efficacy of cognitive behavioral family treatment in children under 8 years of age with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in the reduction of obsessive-compulsive responses and secondary outcomes in three treatment conditions: (a) Treatment of parents and child, (b) Treatment of mother and child, and (c) Treatment of mother. METHOD: Forty-four children with obsessive-compulsive disorder, aged 5.2-7.9 years old and their parents, were randomized to one of three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. Seventy-five percent was male and 100% Caucasian (White-European). Treatment involved 12 individual sessions of is Cognitive-Behavioral Family-Based Treatment delivered. RESULTS: The three conditions produced clinical improvements in post-test and follow-up in the primary (symptom severity OCD) and secondary outcomes. The results showed no intergroup differences in variables related to OCD symptom severity, although statistically significant differences were found in groups in Internalizing and Externalizing problem, mother and fathers accomodation. CONCLUSIONS: The most efficient condition was that including a greater number of family members even when there was high family accommodation. The direct involvement of the child in the psychological treatment was important in achieving better results.